"Looks clear," Lin reported quietly as he scanned the area around the shop. John nodded, coming out of his hiding place down a small side alley. They could see the shop, or what was left of it, across the street. The houses on either side had been lucky. If they'd been attached, they probably would have burned, too. Lin led the way, eyes darting around the structure as he scanned. It was stable, for now at least. So long as they didn't go upstairs, they'd be fine. He led the way in, going through the shop and into the small workshop. He needn't have worried about the upstairs. He could tell just by looking that the stairway had collapsed.

It was a sad sight. Barely anything remained from before. The metal tool boxes had been warped. Various tools lay scattered around in the ash. All the wooden and material surfaces had been burned, charred, or reduced to ash. He noticed John's jaw tighten as he cast his gaze about the room. This place had been his business. His home. John coughed a little as he started sifting through the ash to find his smaller travelling toolbox. He vaguely remembered tucking it into a small cupboard, which had been charred and collapsed. He tossed a black panel aside and grabbed the black box. It was about the size of a doctor's bag and contained what he needed for smaller emergency repairs.

"Is that it?" Lin asked, watching John's sad gaze drift towards the storage room.

"Yes," John replied almost timidly, his feet hesitantly taking a few steps towards the darkened doorway. He paused as Lin's hand landed on his shoulder, squeezing firmly. They both knew what lay beyond that door. Lin wasn't sure how much would be left, but he still thought John would be better off not looking.

"Don't," he urged softly, feeling John hesitate beneath his hand. He was stiff, but the slightest tremor ran through him as his blue eyes stared at the doorway. Lin slowly pressed himself against John's back, hands resting on his hips as he leaned down to press a gentle kiss to his temple. The embodiment of comfort and security. John's gaze remained fixed on the doorway, wide and almost teary. He bit his lip. "That's not something you want to see," Lin added soothingly, gently trying to urge him to turn away from the room. He was surprised as John stood firm, shrugging him off. His bottom lip trembled as he squared up to the doorway.

"I need to see," John said in a small voice that quivered with uncertainty. His breath was shaky as he took a hesitant step towards the darkened doorway. He was quietly hoping that nothing would be there, that the fire would have burned it to a crisp, but he knew better. Lin also knew better, quickly taking the few steps it took to get in front of John and block his path. He rested gentle hands on his smaller shoulders, brow pinched worriedly as he regarded his vulnerable form.

"It's not how he'd want you to remember him," he implored honestly, knowing it was true even without their prior interface. He wouldn't want John to see if it were him either. Some things should never be seen. It took everything for John to squash the urge to shout. He can't want anything! He'll never want anything again! His jaw tightened as he pushed past Lin, who sighed but had little choice. John was stubborn. He lowered his gaze to the floor as he entered the doorway, bottom lip already trapped between his teeth as he urged himself to raise his head. It was so hard to tear his eyes from his feet when he knew what was there.

He heard light steps behind him, crunching the ash and scattering debris. It was reassuring to know he wasn't alone. He took a breath and lifted his head. The sight almost punched him in the gut. A small whimper escaped his throat as he looked at the warped plastic shell. Now that the fire was out, he could see how hopeless it had been the night before. Metal shards had impaled the GT300, fixing him in place completely. There was no way he would have been able to free him, not without tools. The shards had gone through multiple internal components, causing almost irreparable damage. Even if he'd somehow gotten the GT300 free, he would have shut down within minutes, if not seconds.

"John!" Lin exclaimed, barely catching him as his knees gave out. John didn't answer as he slowly reached forward with a shaking hand, his eyes still taking in the warped plastic. He could barely even recognise it as a GT300 model android. The plating was melted in places, especially across one side of his face. Lin watched as John slowly rested his fingers on the GT300's warped knee. He slowly reaching higher to take his stiff charred hand, gently lest it crumble to nothing. Lin knelt behind him, as close as possible so that he could wrap him in his arms securely. This wasn't something he'd wanted to see either.

"Sorry...I'm-sorry!" John sniffled to the blackened shell, quivering in Lin's grasp. Lin hushed him, gently easing his twitching fingers away from the plastic husk of their friend. Lin bowed his head regretfully, the sight twisting his insides. It was painful. After a few moments, John turned in his grasp and buried his face in Lin's shoulder. "I don't want to leave him here...I don't want him to be treated like..." he trailed off miserably, not voicing the word. Trash. Scrap. Either would have done. The problem was that they didn't have time.

"I know. I don't either...but we have to go. Other androids need our help...It's alright. I have his memories, you have his LED, and this is just an empty shell...What happens to it isn't important," Lin assured gently, though he knew it bothered John greatly. It bothered him, too. He'd seen enough of his people being treated like discardable garbage to last a lifetime, but here they were. He gave John a sympathetic nod. It was time to leave. John stood slowly, his legs shaking as tears slid down his pale cheeks. He took one last look before hefting his toolbox. Lin gently took it from him, noting the way John's fingers twitched without it. He took John's hand and squeezed, giving him something to focus on.

They headed up the quiet street; the darkness growing around them as evening turned to night. No one was out. No one was allowed. The curfew had been set for early evening, giving people just enough time to get home from work. They walked close, both alert as they hurried along back into town to meet Ayako. It wasn't long before they reached the small park where Katie had played not so long ago. It seemed like another time now. A time when they'd been safe and happy.

"Behind the fence! Get down!" Lin urged suddenly as he heard a truck approaching. It was big. Military grade. A tank? Probably unlikely, but it was something big and heavy that shouldn't be on these quiet roads.

"What is it?" John asked quietly, having done this many times already that evening. Lin would always hear things coming long before he did. Lin rested a hand on his arm to keep him down. They crouched just inside the fence of the small park, using the small plants surrounding it and the overgrown grass outside to stay hidden in the darkness. A few moments later, John heard the rumble, which became louder as the vehicle drew nearer. It was a large, armoured truck, heavy and low to the ground. John's heart almost stopped as he heard the thing roll to a halt just a few feet from the park. A metal door slammed. There were two muffled voices speaking. The men were wearing armoured helmets. "The army?" he wondered quietly as he peeked between the weeds and wooden panels, watching men approach a sickeningly familiar house. They couldn't have! They wouldn't!

"Good evening, Miss. You called about an android requiring collection," one of the armoured men said politely, a semi-automatic hanging loosely across his chest. John couldn't help shifting for a better look, moving silently on his knees. His stomach dropped as he realised he was right. It was Mrs Thompson. John almost missed the reply as she agreed and called into the house. Mr Thompson appeared moments later with Katie in his arms. Katie seemed completely at ease. Safe in her father's embrace. John bit his lip. His heart ached. How could they do this? How could they call up and hand her over like this?

"Here she is...Katie, you be good for the nice men, okay?" Mr Thompson said cheerfully as he bounced her in his arms. Katie, understandably, seemed wary of the men. She looked from them to her father before giving a small nod. Her parents had never done anything to hurt her. They loved her. There was no reason not to trust these men if her father told her to be good. The only saving grace John could see was that the soldiers didn't point their guns at Katie as she was lowered to her feet.

"Thank you for your cooperation," the first man said with a nod as the second took Katie's small hand and led her towards the truck. She was still wearing her pyjamas and slippers. She was shivering in the cold, part of her realistic response programming. They were really just throwing her out? They hadn't even prepared her for the journey and given her proper shoes. It looked like they hadn't even told her she was leaving. Just hastily roused her from sleep and handed her off. John felt Lin's hand grip his shoulder painfully. He hadn't even realised he'd tried to move. He looked at Lin, horrified.

"Lin, it's Katie!" he hissed as if that were the only explanation he needed. Lin closed his eyes for a moment, brow furrowing with stress. He didn't like it either. She was just a child, completely innocent. In the doorway, Mrs Thompson and her husband looked on, sharing a few more words with the man. John could hear them saying how they were happy to help, and that the reports were truly frightening. John found it more frightening that two perfect parents were willingly sending their child to what was certainly an extermination camp. "Please! We can't just let them do this!" John urged desperately. Lin nodded quietly. There were likely more than fifty androids in that truck. He could hear the movement of their feet and hands as they tried to find a way out. That was a lot of androids. A lot of his people.

"Stay here," Lin urged as he sneaked through the gate, staying low to avoid being seen. John felt his heart clench in fear as Lin sneaked towards the rear of the truck. The second man was on the right, opening the small side door to shove Katie inside with the others. His rifle kept the other androids inline. While he was busy, and the first man was still distracted at the house, Lin reached the larger rear doors. He scanned them. A simple key lock. Made so that androids couldn't hack it. There were also heavy bolts on the outside. Lin knew he wouldn't have much time. The noise would bring the armoured men right to him. He ran a few options, but the best course was to simply make all the noise necessary and focus on speed.

Knowing that time was a factor, he straightened and grasped the strong bolt in his hands. Rather than trying to slide it open, it would be easier to wrench it off entirely, so that's what he did. There was a deafening clang as he ripped it away. A muffled "What the hell?" sounded from the side of the van. He wasted no time in gripping a piece of the door and pulling. He could feel the lock giving way. Luckily, he wasn't alone in his efforts. He could hear the desperate cries from inside and felt the pressure of more androids pushing against the door.

"Step away from there!" the second man ordered as he stepped around the side and raised his rifle. Lin barely had time to duck and hide around the side of the door before the metal swung open and androids came pouring out. A few shots were fired before cries for backup were heard, and then cries of pain. The man in the doorway also made a call, firing off a few shots as androids scattered in all directions. With their skin and clothes, they all looked human besides the spinning red and yellow of their LEDs. They were stressed and terrified, as expected. The majority had likely been deviant already. The rest had been infected inside the truck, it seemed.

"Katie!" John cried as he hopped the fence and held a hand out to the small girl, who was turning this way and that tearfully, with no idea what to do or where to do. Lin cursed under his breath as he saw the man at the front door spot John. He was just raising his rifle when Lin tossed the bolt from the truck door like a spear. It hit the man's shoulder, knocking him off the front doorstep with a pained cry as it embedded itself in his armour. Lin wasn't sure if it went through. He just needed to make sure he was down for a few seconds. John didn't seem to notice, focusing on Katie as she ran fearfully into his waiting arms. His heart was pounding as he clutched her to his chest. I've got you..."Lin?" John cried as he lifted Katie and looked around at the chaos of fleeing androids.

"Here!" Lin called as he jogged to John's side and lifted the tool box once more. "We should hurry. They called for backup," he added as he tugged John's sleeve so that they could head further up the street, mixing in with the scattering crowd. John followed and didn't look back, though he could see Katie watching as her home faded into the distance. Her parents hadn't tried to come after them or stop them. In fact, the moment the bolt had struck the armoured man, they'd retreated into the house and locked the door. John slowly sighed his relief. If they'd been any later, they wouldn't have seen it. Katie would have been carted off to one of those terrible places and-He couldn't even finish the thought. John stumbled as Lin gripped his arm and all but dragged him into a random front yard, crouching behind some large bushes. John held his breath as he cradled Katie against his chest. He could feel her trembling.

A large armoured truck rolled by, the lights shining brightly back and forth across the street. Two armoured men hung off the side, looking around cautiously as they drove by. John closed his eyes tightly and prayed. Please don't let them find us, please make them drive by. He felt Katie's smaller hands ball in his borrowed jacket. Takigawa's clothing was quite large on him, so she had plenty of material to hold on to. The loud rumble passed and soon Lin was standing. This didn't bode well.

"We should find another way. They'll likely stop somewhere ahead to block the street," Lin warned as he looked up the road they were walking. John nodded his agreement. They knew the area was crawling with escaped deviants. They'd be slowly blocking off every main street in and out of the area. They were hardly inconspicuous either. A mature Asian man carrying a toolbox, a blonde teenager in oversized clothing, and a small girl in pyjamas. They made an odd trio. John rubbed Katie's small spine as he felt her shiver in his grasp. It was freezing.

"Should we go back to Takigawa's or head straight for the androids?" John asked quietly, unsure which direction would lead to the highest success rate. Takigawa lived closer to town, and they were already quite close. The androids were further away, in the opposite direction. John had no idea which way was likely to have more armoured men. He wasn't sure whether they were soldiers or law enforcement. In the end, Lin suggested that heading away from town may be the safer option. It would at least limit their amount of human contact. They ducked down a side street, heading to a slightly smaller main street. Their progress was good, and John thought they might actually make it before two armoured men appeared on foot. It was too late for them to duck behind cover. The men had already signalled for them to stop.

"Show me your hands!" the first man ordered, both training their rifles on the trio. Lin reluctantly lowered the toolbox to the floor and raised his hands, but John remained as he was with Katie clinging to his neck. It seemed the soldiers understood he wouldn't put her down. "Show me your identification," one of the men added warily as he held his hand out. John's heart raced as he realised he didn't have any ID. It had been left in the shop. Destroyed in the blaze. He looked across at Lin. If they scanned them, Lin and Katie were done for.

"Please, we're just passing through...It's late, and this one needs to go to bed," John murmured as he hefted Katie a little higher. The men didn't seem perturbed by Katie's presence. It was well known that there were child androids around. John swallowed hard as he slowly handed Katie off to Lin. The men kept their guns aimed but allowed the exchange. "I lost my ID, but I'm human. If you have a scanner, then you can scan me," John offered as he held his hands out in an open and calming manner. The soldiers nodded at each other before one of them stepped forward with a scanner. John held his breath as it scanned and beeped with a blue light.

"Human. Alright, now you two." John's heart stopped as he looked at Lin.

"You don't seriously think I'd be out alone at night with two androids, do you?" John stammered in forced disbelief, hoping his voice sounded more confident than he felt. The men had completely dropped their guard around him. They even stepped between him and his companions to leave their backs vulnerable. The second man pressed on, gripping the scanner, ready to aim at Lin.

"It's protocol. Once we're done, you can be on your way," the first man assured, likely thinking that John was just in a hurry to avoid trouble about the curfew. John felt adrenaline flood his system. Acting on impulse, he jumped on the first man's back. The man didn't have time to pull the trigger, and wouldn't want to risk hitting his companion anyway as he twisted to dislodge John from his large shoulders. In an instant, Lin had kicked the scanner away, dropping Katie so that he could wrestle the other faceless man into submission. Once the man was knocked out, he drove his knee into the other's gut so hard he crumpled like paper.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Lin demanded as he grabbed John's jacket and hefted him off the ground where he'd fallen in the tousle. John's heart was still racing as he gripped Lin's hands with wide eyes. It seemed he couldn't believe what he'd done either. It had been reckless and irresponsible. Lin finally composed himself and dropped him to his feet, steadying him as he hit the ground. "You could have been killed!" Lin cried as he cupped John's face, his dichromatic eyes automatically scanning for injuries.

"They were going to scan you! I had to!" John was cut off as Lin crushed him against his chest. John could hear his thirium pump beating a mile a minute as he held him tight. One large hand laced in his hair as Lin buried his face in his golden curls. John gripped back, wrapping Lin in a tight hug that both offered and requested comfort.

"I would have handled it before then...You're human, John. You only have one life," Lin insisted quietly, unable to help himself as he pawed his clothes and examined him with worried eyes. There wasn't a scratch on him, thank god. John took his hands, holding them to his cold cheeks and leaning into his warm, artificial touch. He wasn't sure what was making him shiver more. The adrenaline or the cold. He closed his eyes as he pressed closer to Lin.

"And so do you...Just because you're an android, it doesn't mean you're indestructible or replaceable!" he objected, enjoying the kiss Lin pressed to his lips. It was firm and heated, telling him how relieved he felt. John returned it with equal fervour. Lin's hands caressed his cold cheeks. His artificial skin was warm against his cold cheeks, warming him up. Lin drew back, eyes lingering on John as he pressed their foreheads together with a relieved sigh.

"I'm stronger than you and I can take more damage," he shot back. John couldn't argue with that. He was, for want of a better word, squishier than Lin. He knew that, and he knew Lin was right, but that didn't mean he was going to let him have his way. A new voice shouted from further up the street, telling them to stay where they were. Lin cursed silently for allowing himself to get so distracted. John's heart leapt into his throat as he tugged Katie behind his back and Lin stood in front of them both. The screech of car tyres pulled his attention away as a car almost span out behind them.

"Get in!" a familiar voice yelled, and John didn't need to be told twice. They dove into the car, metallic pings telling them that the armoured men had opened fire. Lin lay across them, shielding John and Katie as the car twisted and peeled back up the street. He stayed there, pinning them down and gripping the seat, acting as both shield and seatbelt. John couldn't see from his position on the floor of the car, but there was a set of familiar feminine legs by his head. Ayako was gripping the handle by her head tightly while using her free arm to help keep Lin and Katie pinned down on the seat. "Hang onto something!" Takigawa ordered as he put his foot down, racing through the familiar streets with ease.

He had the home the advantage. These were his streets. He'd patrolled them for years. His car was also sleeker and more manoeuvrable than the armoured trucks. He was pretty sure they were military grade; though they could belong to private security. They weren't made for chases; they were made for transporting goods and warfare. The man tried blocking off the roads, but Takigawa knew every side street, every shortcut. He swerved the armoured men that ran out into the streets. He was unwilling to hurt humans who were just doing their jobs. He ducked instinctively as they fired at his car. The windshield shattered.

"Sir, this is unwise," Charlie stated with his usual robotic calm, though he made no move to make Takigawa stop. He was still his direct superior. Takigawa grinned in response, almost amused. Lin and Ayako held on for dear life as Takigawa tore round corner after corner, weaving towards town before veering away. They finally hit a deserted highway and Takigawa put his foot down. Looking back, he could tell they'd lost them. They probably thought he'd headed deeper into the city. After a few more minutes without pursuit, he pulled over and climbed out with a sigh. His heart was racing after the chase. He hadn't driven like that in months.

"Thank you for saving us," Lin said as he climbed out with a small bow, surprised as Takigawa tossed the keys at him. He caught them in reflex, looking down at them in confusion.

"You want to thank me, you'll keep them safe!" Takigawa replied firmly as he stepped around to Charlie's window and knocked. The glass rolled down as Lin climbed into the driver's seat without another word. Takigawa leaned on the frame with an almost apologetic smile. Charlie tilted his head in confusion as he looked at his partner. What was Takigawa doing? Where was he going? His LED span yellow. "Charlie, you're programmed to follow all of my orders, right?" Takigawa already knew the answer.

"Affirmative, so long as it is within my capabilities," Charlie replied uncertainly.

"Good...Charlie, I order you to go with them. You're to protect them at all costs, and help in any way you can. You're not to return to the police station or Cyberlife, and you're not to follow any other human's orders except my own. This is a classified mission, code yellow. Do you understand?" Takigawa asked, watching Charlie's LED spin red in distress. Takigawa's expression softened as he reached out and gripped his shoulder. "I know...I'm going to miss you too, partner..." he added with a squeeze, watching Charlie process his words with some difficulty.

"I understand," Charlie replied obediently. As if he has any other choice! Takigawa tapped the hood in satisfaction and drew back, stepping away to allow Lin the space to pull away. He raised a hand and waved, his warm eyes meeting Ayako's as she looked out at him with teary brown eyes. He gave a tight smile and a nod before watching the car pull away. Lin kept the lights off for now as he headed out of the city and into the abandoned warehouse district. Takigawa headed back to town, covering his own back by reporting his car as stolen and Charlie as missing. He wouldn't place the blame on Charlie, but he wouldn't stop the rumours either. He'd set the record straight if things went well. Damn, I hope things go well.